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Woman killed after slamming into semi on Florida's Turnpike in northern Palm Beach County

WPTV Chopper 5 video shows charred semi in southbound lanes after vehicle catches fire
A fatal crash shuts down all southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike, north of Donald Ross Road in Jupiter, on Jan. 12, 2024 (1).jpg
Posted at 5:50 AM, Jan 12, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-12 16:03:57-05

JUPITER, Fla. — A fatal crash involving a semi shut down all southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike in Jupiter for hours on Friday morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the wreck was reported at 1:16 a.m. at mile marker 113, just north of the PGA Boulevard exit.

Aerial video from WPTV Chopper 5 showed the semi-truck badly charred after the vehicle caught fire.

WATCH: Traffic report from WPTV Chopper 5

Deadly crash shuts down Florida's Turnpike southbound in Jupiter

According to an FHP crash report, before the wreck occurred there was a vehicle fire that had caused traffic to come to a stop on the southbound lanes of the Turnpike.

A 2022 white Dailmer tractor-trailer combination was stopped facing south in the outside lane.

A 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup was traveling south in the outside lane, approaching the back of the semi.

The report said the driver of the Dodge, a woman whose name has not been released, failed to slow, stop or maneuver her pickup truck to avoid a collision with the tractor-trailer.

The front of the Dodge collided with the rear of semi and traveled underneath the tractor-trailer, becoming entangled.

After the vehicles came to a rest, the woman's pickup truck became fully engulfed in flames. The FHP said the unidentified woman died at the scene.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 57-year-old man, was not hurt.

This is still an ongoing and active investigation, according to the FHP.

All southbound lanes of the Turnpike eventually reopened just after 8:30 a.m.